Our Booksellers

To see the latest books our staffers are reading and loving these days, make sure to check out the Staff Picks section of our online magazine, Musing! Meanwhile, meet our booksellers:

Ann Patchett, Parnassus Books Co-Owner

Ann Patchett is the author of seven novels: The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, and most recently, Commonwealth. She was the editor of Best American Short Stories, 2006, and has written three books of nonfiction: Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer, Lucy Grealy; What Now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College; and This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays that examines the theme of commitment.

When I'm not at Parnassus, I'm ... hanging with my kids, cats, and dogs. Or watching my kids at gymnastics.

Recommend a lunch spot in Nashville? Unique Flavors

Favorite author event we've had: Kid President was a lot of fun....although I also enjoyed meeting grownup President Jimmy Carter!

Books I insist we keep in stock:I like recommending authors more than specific books, so I’d say Chris Bohjalian, Diana Gabaldon, Kristin Hannah, and Mary Kay Andrews are some favorites.

Stephanie Appell, Manager of Books for Young Readers

Quick description of what you do here: As the manager of books for young readers, I pick what books go on our baby, picture book, chapter book, and YA shelves; coordinate author events and school visits; oversee ParnassusNext subscription box; and help young readers (and their grown-ups) find great books to read, often using secret magics and ancient wisdom I learned during my time as a youth services librarian.

Favorite book as a kid: Tamora Pierce's collected works. Let's be real, these are also my trapped-on-a-desert-island-favorites as a grown-up.

When I'm not at Parnassus, I'm ... hanging out with my boyfriend, reading, cross-stitching, or watching Boston sports teams, which are the best sports teams.

Recommend a lunch spot in Nashville? Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and my two favorite places to eat it are Mas Tacos Por Favor (get the chilaquiles on Saturday mornings, you'll thank me later) and Yeast Nashville (if you don't know what a kolache is, you are missing out).

Favorite author event we've had: The night we hosted Gayle Forman, Ruta Sepetys, Courtney C. Stevens, and David Arnold was pretty special for me. I love that part of my job is creating a space where the people who love the same books that I love come together as a community. Recently, the on-stage conversation between Kelly Loy Gilbert, Tamara Ireland Stone, and Andrew Shvarts was among the most incredible I've ever witnessed. And then there was the time I got to introduce John Green to a room full of fifteen hundred fans.

Sissy Gardner, Assistant Floor Manager

Quick description of what you do here: I’m the assistant floor manager, and I specialize in shelving children's and YA books, telling coworkers to go to lunch, climbing ladders, patting Bear, and balancing the registers.

Quick description of what you do here: I *love* introducing readers to fabulous new books, and I get to do that here by running our online magazine, Musing, where we showcase author interviews and book excerpts, Ann's blog, and the phenomenal reading recommendations of our shop people (and dogs). I also handle a variety of special projects, including writing and speaking about books and indie bookstores.

Favorite book as a kid: I loved the original Hans Christian Andersen story “The Little Mermaid” (which is waaaaay different from the Disney version). I also read age-inappropriate things like Firestarter by Stephen King when I was little and tried very hard to set things on fire with my mind.

When I'm not at Parnassus, I'm ... probably reading.

Recommend a lunch spot in Nashville? Firefly Grille -- walkable from the store!

Favorite author event we've had: Every David Sedaris event.

Books I insist we keep in stock: Never Let Me Goby Kazuo Ishiguro; Half Emptyby David Rakoff; and usually a handful of my latest favorite novels by brilliant women

Steve Haruch, Marketing and Communications Manager

Quick description of what you do here: I am marketing & communications manager. So I work on the store’s social media feeds and email newsletters, while also coordinating with other folks who are toiling away on events and other aspects of the shop. Basically, my job is to get the word out about what's going in (and around) Parnassus —- which is all pretty great —- and look for new ways to do that.

Favorite book as a kid: We were talking about this behind the counter the other day. There was a book about a sea turtle that was the first book I remember making me cry, but I can't remember the title of it. I really loved Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. I made extremely painstaking illustrations for my book report on Taran Wanderer.

When I'm not at Parnassus, I'm ... Either working on my own writing at home, going through footage for a documentary film I'm producing or playing pick-up basketball with what's left of my knees.

Recommend a lunch spot in Nashville? I probably have more lunch meetings at Thai Esane than anywhere else. I especially love their larb.

Favorite author event we've had: There have been so many good ones, but a recent one that sticks out to me is Celeste Ng and Shanthi Sekharan. Maybe it's because I had just finished Little Fires Everywhere and got to spend a lot of time with it while writing a review for Chapter16. But that conversation felt really timely — in terms of talking about immigration and race — and also very universal, with these questions of what makes a family, and who gets to decide which families get to stay together. It was also great because while the overlap between the two books isn't huge or super-obvious, the authors made for a really engaging tandem, and their combined energy just lit up the room.

Books I insist we keep in stock: It's been a while since I read a book that was so powerful I felt like maybe I was incomplete in some way before I read it. That happened with Pachinko. (Luckily it doesn't seem to be in any danger of fading from the shelves any time soon.) A few that come to mind are out of print, I think — Mary Oliver's Wild Geese, Brigit Pegeen Kelly's Song — so for my second I'll say Ariel: The Restored Edition by Sylvia Plath. It undoes the reverse-svengali work of Ted Hughes, and really changes the overall tenor of the book. The language is still so striking, even so many waves of poetry later.

Kathy Schultenover, Bookseller and Book Club Coordinator

Quick description of what you do here: As the book clubs manager, I serve as a liaison to community book clubs, as well as a bookseller here in the store.

Favorite book as a kid:The Little House on the Prairie series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which my fourth grade teacher started me on

When I'm not at Parnassus, I'm ... reading (of course!) or taking care of my grandkids.

Recommend a lunch spot in Nashville? Picnic Court (the chicken salad is to-die-for)

River Jordan, Bookseller

Quick description of what you do here: Some people call it being a bookseller. I think of it as book therapist. For every human condition, need, and season there is a perfect book that meets the reader where they are. I'm a story 'matchmaker.'

Katherine Klockenkemper, Bookseller

When I'm not at Parnassus, I'm ... dead inside. (That's a joke.) Real answer: I love to spend time outside and take long walks around my neighborhood.

Recommend a lunch spot in Nashville? Noshville is a New York-style decicatessan that has been here in Green Hills for over 20 years. Great, classic diner feel with great breakfast food, too! I get the tuna melt.

Favorite author event we've had: It’s a tie between John Green for Turtles All the Way Down and Maggie Stiefvater for All the Crooked Saints. John’s was cleverly structured and hilariously educational, while Maggie’s had this weirdly magical and hilarious atmosphere (plus bagpipes!)

When I'm not at Parnassus, I'm ... Reading, playing guitar, or watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Recommend a lunch spot in Nashville? El Stuffed Pepper. Order the Chuy's Special with steak.

Favorite author event we've had: Colson Whitehead, because that man's a genius. Also, somebody came into the store just to play the piano for a bit the other day. It wasn't an author event, I guess, but it was very nice.